A volcano southeast of the Philippine capital spewed ash and steam about a kilometer (half a mile) into the sky in a brief steam-driven explosion on Sunday, scattering ash in nearby villages and alarming residents, officials said.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level at Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon province following the 17-minute blast but added there was no sign of an impending major eruption.
